Motivation
by CyanSparki
Summary: Sometimes, life will bring you down and you'll feel like you can't go on. When that happens, time to time, there'll be someone there to tell you, don't give up and to never quit. Especially on a bench in Pastoria City.


_"Sometimes, the best motivation comes from the most unexpected places."_

[-]

 **Motivation**

* * *

June sat down on the bench and groaned as she leaned back. She stared at the water in front of her for a few minutes, trying to enjoy the calming waters of Pastoria Bay. She couldn't sit still however, as she had a lot on her mind.

With a grunt and rough pull, she pulled out her trainer ID and stared at it hard before letting out an angry yell.

"Argh… I can't do this anymore! This… this… Rrrr! I'm sick of losing!"

She dropped it on the bench and pulled out three pokeballs from her pocket and looked at them. She shook her head and clenched her hand in anger, squeezing the spheres. She let out a few angry, ragged breaths, as she was close to being overcome by tears.

"I haven't won a battle in two weeks and I failed the gym challenge for the fourth time this month. I'll…" she drew in a deep breath, a few tears finally welling in her eyes. "I'll never amount to anything at this point."

She clenched her hard enough for one of the pokeballs to pop out. It landed on the ground and let out a ledian. She flew up, confused as to why she was out of her ball. Normally, her trainer only let her out to battle, train, sleep with her, or eat with her. Turning around to the sound of quiet sobs, the ladybug monster saw her trainer crying on a bench.

"Ledian?"

"And… I'm so far behind my brother… he's got seven badges. Seven!" she punched the bench. "I only have three!"

"Le…" the Ledian looked down in shame. It was partly her fault for not being strong enough to take out a simple floatzel.

"And…" she sniffled, "I can't even control Sarah… I can't even…" she wiped away a tear, "my newest pokémon… I'll never be as good as dad… or mom… or Evan…"

She opened her hand, dropping the other two pokeballs, letting out a sableye and a sneasel. She leaned back into the bench and laid her face into her hands, sobbing uncontrollably. She let her mounting depression take over at this point, her anger having subsided as fast as it had came. Her ledian and sableye looked at her in concern while her sneasel scoffed in indifference- she didn't understand what humans got so worked up about. This one was as weird and as stupid as the others were to her. Sort of in this case though, she did _somewhat_ like this human.

"I'll never be as good…"

"Ledian!"

She looked up with tear filled eyes to see her Ledian flying in front of her. The bug immediately latched onto her, intending to hug her trainer but June shoved her away. The ladybird held her mouth agape in shock- her trainer _never_ refused a hug when she offered one!

"Le? Ledian, le!" yelled the bug in confusion.

June fought back a few sobs to talk, "I'm sorry Hailey… I'm terrible trainer… I-I don't deserve you around. You show me so… so much kindness… but I'm not good enough…"

She put her hand on the bug's chest, letting out a sob.

"You don't deserve a failure of a trainer… not me…"

Her sableye jumped up onto the bench next his crying trainer. He saw her ID on the bench and picked up. He tried to give it to her but she refused and when he put it in her hand, she mindlessly threw it into the water in front of them.

"S… Sableye…" he said in shock.

He looked over to Ledian who gave him a slow shake of her head.

"I'm so… so sorry Salem. I'm the worst trainer… the worst…" mumbled June as she pulled her head back down, hiding her face with her hair.

Her Sneasel glanced up at her trainer and laughed at the pitiful sight, misunderstanding why she was crying in the first place. Both Hailey and Salem glared at the offending cat pokémon. She in turn stuck out her tongue and made a silly face at them.

"Sne! Sneasel." she taunted.

"Ledian! Le-"

Hailey tried to continue but Salem shoved his way in front of her.

"Sab, Sableye! Sab!"

"Sne…" the Sneasel once more stuck out her tongue playfully. "Nyaaaaa…"

"Sableye…" the imp angrily gnashed through his sharp teeth.

June noticed her pokémon arguing with each other, close to getting physical and could only give a sniffle at the sight. It was one she's seen for the past few weeks ever since she gained her Sneasel, Sarah, in a trade.

"I can't even handle a new pokémon… I guess… it be best if I gave you…"

She paused and reconsidered her words. She looked between the three pokémon and let out a quiet sob

"Gave… you _all_ away to someone better… not like I need to keep you all held back…"

The three of them turned their heads in confusion to their depressed trainer.

June put her head in hands, wiping away a few tears but ultimately failing.

"Because… I quit. I can't be a trainer."

The trio of pokémon all called to her in a worried panic. Hailey and Salem loved their trainer and would never think about leaving her or letting her quit on them. Sarah didn't want to be traded away once more, she hated being traded- plus, June grew on her more than the other trainers, even if she refused to show it.

"Ledian! Ledian!"

"Sa, Sableye, eye!"

"Sneasel!"

They tried to cheer her up as best they could but it was no use- even Sarah tried in her own mischievous way. June continued to apologize to them as she pushed them away, muttering about how useless a trainer she was and how they would be better off with someone else.

"Don't give up!"

"E… eh?"

Her pokémon stopped talking to her and whipped around, searching for the source of the voice, allowing June to hear another, louder. "Don't you give up!"

June saw a fisherman in a wading suit standing in the water in front of the bench holding a net. He dropped it and pointed at her.

"Why are you quitting there!?"

"Uh… uh…" June looked away. "I'm… a failure. I can't win any battles… not anymore…"

The man shook his head, "Just try a little bit harder!"

June slammed her hands down on the bench, making her pokémon flinch. The man stood rigidly in place.

"I tried and tried and kept failing and failing! All I've done so far is lose and lose and lose!" she took a deep breath and yelled. "All I can do now _is_ give up!"

"No, no, no, no. You can't give up here and now young lady! Don't give up!"

He took a step closer to her with a marshy stomp. "Think of all the people around you! The people who are cheering you on!" he looked to her pokémon and pointed to them, "Think about what your pokémon think of you!"

"Li-like mom and dad? Chris, Anthony, Amy…" she looked down, "Evan…" she shook her head and looked to her three pokémon, "Hailey, Salem…" she looked away from the Sneasel, "Sarah…"

"Sne?"

"Yes, all those people are cheering you on, even if they aren't saying it!"

"But I can't even control my pokémon. They fight all the time…" she dejectedly responded.

The fisherman scanned her three pokémon, taking them in. Sarah noticed the attention and playfully made faces.

"I see! Your Ledian and Sableye are faithful and love you! They would hate for you to quit right there, right now! You are their trainer and they refuse to be with another one- especially after coming so far!"

She felt Hailey's arms wrap around her. June looked down to see her ledian's head nestled against her torso, offering a weak, "Le..." as she held on. From behind, she felt Salem wrap his cold, fuzzy arms around her as well.

"You two…" she looked down to her rebellious Sneasel and saw she was looking up at her, an apologetic look in her red eyes. Yes, her human was weird but she... she was _her_ human!

"Sa… Sarah?"

The fisherman pointed to the dark blue cat.

"Your Sneasel is a playful one! She likes to have fun most of the time!" he folded his arms. "She likes you but refused to show it, something common of Dark-types! This is not a good reason to quit!"

He smiled. "Instead, it's a good chance to learn! To be a better trainer!"

June sat quietly, processing the words of wisdom from the fisherman. She bent down to her, wiping a tear away, "Sarah, you want to play with me?"

The Sneasel nodded vigorously and pulled at her mouth, stretching it out. She mewled and let out a garbled. "Sneasel!"

June held a hand to her mouth, covering a few giggles breaking up her tearful expression.

"Exactly!" the fisherman continued, "Your pokémon don't want you to give up!" He gestured to the cityscape behind her. "After all, you're almost there!"

"What!? I'm not almost _anywhere_!" she cried in protest, "I've only got three badges!" she argued.

"And!? What does three badges mean?"

"What does it mean?" June asked.

"It means you have three badges!" he shouted.

June could only give him a questioning look, as did her pokémon. They all knew that she did, but what did it change?

"So… I have three badges?"

"Yes!" he gestured to the water around him, "Look at me! This water is five below freezing and I'm here harvesting seaweed to keep the boats from being tangled in them!"

He pointed to the young trainer. She blinked at him, unsure where he was going with this.

"You on the other hand, have three badges and could get your fourth today! By next month, all eight! Then by next year, the champion!"

"Re… really?" June asked in amazement, "You think so?"

"Yes! But, you can't if you give up right here!" he pointed at her, "You just have to try!"

"But… will I actually do it this time?" she asked.

"You'll never know if you don't try! You have try harder than before and want to succeed!"

June stood up, "You're right. I was… it's too early to quit now!"

The fisherman smiled. "Yes, you will surely accomplish your goal…"

He took a step back and took a wide stance.

"That's why you should…" he pumped his arm into the air and yelled, "NEVER GIVE UP! NOT NOW OR NEVER!"

June nodded and stepped up onto the bench and copied the fisherman.

"I'll NEVER GIVE UP! Not now or never!"

"Ledian!" "Sableye!" "Sneasel!" her three pokémon shouted in unison.

"AHAHAAHAHAHHAAHAHAH! Yes! That's the spirit!" the fisherman bellowed.

"Thanks sir… I needed that." June turned to her trio of pokémon, "Let's go train guys!"

"Sne?" questioned Sarah and an expecting look on her face.

"We'll play as much as you want afterwards Sarah." June said with a smile on her face. "Hailey and Salem can join in too!"

"Le, le!" "Sable, sab!" they answered.

June started to walk away with her pokémon in tow when the fisherman called out to her again.

"Young lady! WAIT!"

June jumped and turned around to see the fisherman pull up a net from the water. He reached into it and pulled out a small plastic ID for her to see. June could see it was sopping wet but knew it well from the picture emblazoned on it. It was her trainer ID.

"Can't be trainer without your ID, can you!?"

He held it out for her to grab. June ran up to him and happily took it. She dried it off with her shirt and hugged it once dry.

"Thank you so much sir!"

"Don't mention it…" he glanced between her pokémon before settling on her Sneasel.

"I should say, you should teach your Sneasel the move Reflect. Wake's Floatzel uses Aqua Jet the most to catch his opponents off-guard!" he paused and put his hand to his chin. "Actually…"

He shoved his other hand into his pocket and pulled out a small disc. June could see it was marked with the word 'Reflect' on it and realized it was a TM.

"Here, keep it! Use it and remember my words!"

He threw it to her with a lob and June caught it. She stared at it in astonishment- she never was able to afford TM and here, a fisherman was handing her one!

"Thank… thank you so much!"

"You have potential young lady! Remember…" he flexed once more and yelled. "NEVER GIVE UP!"

As he did, a Croagunk popped out of the water with a croak, surprising June and her pokémon, making them fall to the ground in a comical fashion.

"HAHAHAHAHAAH!" boomed the fisherman. He pet his Croagunk on the head. "You'll do just fine! Go on and try harder!"

June scrambled to her feet, gave him a quick "Thank you!" and ran off enthusiastically with her pokémon back into the city. He could see the three tailing her weren't fighting, now that they understood what was at stake this time.

"Croa…" his Croagunk croaked. He looked down at it and chuckled.

"It was the right thing to do. I hate to see good trainers quit, especially ones with potential. What trainer runs through the circuit with just a Ledian and a Sableye?"

His Croagunk stared at him, expecting his trainer to answer his own question, used to how he acts.

"A talented one!"

He walked down the dockside and back into open water when he spotted a shifty looking character step out of a dockside warehouse.

"Hmm…?"

The person looked around, watching to see if there was anyone around, before waving out his companions. The fisherman could see that they were all wearing the uniform of Team Galactic.

He quickly pulled a headset from his pocket.

"This is Looker. I spotted a few Team Galactic grunts heading out of Pastoria. They were headed towards the east. I think their destination is Lake Valor. I'm going to be trailing them- they have a package with them…"

* * *

This short was inspired by Matsuoka Shuzo's famous "Never Give Up" speech.


End file.
